Mechanism for operating an electric switch



Nov. 25, 1958 R. w. SORENSEZN 2,862,074

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING AN ELECTRIC SWITCH IN VEN TOR.

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' tact portion 14 consists of a pair of spring jaws.

United States Patent Ofitice 2,862,074 Patented Nov. 25, 1958 MECHANISM FOR OPERATING AN ELECTRIC SWITCH Readar W. Sorensen, Arlington Heights, Ill., assignor to I(?ak Mfg. Co., Cook County, Ill., a corporation of linois Application April 12, 1957, Serial No. 652,541

Claims. c1. zoo-51.09

This invention relates to a mechanism for operating an electric switch and more particularly to a mechanism which may be actuated by the prongs of a conventional 110 volt plug. j

Switches actuated in the above manner are used in certain types of apparatus that are adapted to operate either from a battery or from a wall socket connected to a 110 volt, 60 cycle line. For example, portable radio receivers having batteries for operating the same are provided with means for charging the battery when the receiver is not in Usually the switching from battery to power line operation may be accomplished by the use of the conventional two prong plug used for plugging the receiver into a wall outlet. Such a plug may be plugged into a switch carried by the receiver and in that condition the receiver is usually arranged so that it may be operated from batteries.

A mechanism for operation by the insertion of a two prong plug should be so constructed as to permit the insertion of the plug without excessive force and without damage to the plug. It is well known that bending one or both prongs of a plug may render the plug unfit for use with standard wall outlets. This construction provides a switch operating mechanism which is simple and eflicient and is readily operated by a two prong plug. In addition, the mechanism embodying the present invention may also be operated by conventional means.

In order that the invention may be understood reference will now be made to the drawing wherein an exemplary embodiment is illustrated. It is understood that variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention except as defined by the appended claims.

Figure l is an elevation from one side of an operating mechanism embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view looking down upon the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section along line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevation from the opposite side of the mechanism.

Figure 5 is an end view along line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a section along line 6--6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a section along line 7--7 of Figure 4.

The switch operating mechanism embodying the present invention may be associated with any suitable switching means such as a sliding type of switch. Thus a switch may have insulating base 10 carrying a plurality of switch contacts 12 suitably secured in base 10.

Each contact 12 has terminal lug portion 13 and active contact portion 14. As illustrated here, each active con- Cooperating with a pair of jaws is movable blade contact 16 carried by movable insulating plate 18. Movable blade contact 16 may have any desired length. Any desired switching action may be obtained by longitudinal movement of insulating member 18 with respect to insulating member 10.

The mechanism for operating the switch includes a piece of sheet metal 20 bent to form sides 21 and 22 and top 23. The housing has end plates 25 and 26. The end plates have suitable apertures or slots 28 therethrough for accommodating fingers 30 from the edges of housing 20. Fingers 30 may be staked or otherwise spread to provide a strong construction.

End plates 25 and 26 extend down beyond the bottom of housing 20 and support insulating member 10 therein. Insulating member 10 has projecting portions 32 passing through suitable slots in end plates 25 and 26 for retaining insulating plate 10 firmly in position.

Both end plates 25 and 26 are provided with centrally disposed elongated slots 34, for convenience in stamping the parts. Actually end plate 26 is the only one which requires slot 34. Operating in slot 34 is movable plate 36 having fingers 37, 38 and 39 extending through slot 34. Plate 36 is movable along its length and is disposed approximately midway between sides 21 and 22. Disposed around finger 38 is coil spring 41 which is compressed between the base of finger 38 and plate 26.

Plate 36 has a corner cut away at 43 to provide a sloping cam edge at the inner top portion thereof. In addition, plate 36 has finger 45 cut out fI'OIIll the bottom, this finger being laterally oifset from the body of plate 36 as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. Finger 45 is below the bottom edge of housing 20 and this finger is also ofiset Fsufiiciently from plate 36 so that a substantial portion of finger is outside of the housing. Finger 45 has a free end which is clear of the housing extending beyond plate 25 through slot 46 in end plate 25.

Extending downwardly from finger 45 is switch operating finger 47 which enters into slot 418 in the edge of insulating plate 18. Finger 47 can move insulating plate 18 longitudinally of the mechanism. As illustrated in the drawing, insulating plate 18 has extension 50 which projects beyond end plate 25.

Coil spring 41 biases plate 36 to the position illustrated in Figure 3. From this position plate 36 may be moved to the left. Top 23 of the housing is provided with transverse slots 52 and 53 spaced a distance apart substantially equal to the distances between prongs 55 of a conventional volt plug shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. Slots 52 and 53 are dimensioned to accommodate the plug prongs. Slot 53 is at the end of the housing just adjacent to end plate 25. Transverse slot 52 is just over cam edge 43 of plate 36.

Referring to Figure 6, it will be clear that cam edge 43 of plate 36 is about midway between housing sides 21 and 22. It is desirable to guide prongs 55 from the plug into slots 52 and 53 for proper movement of plate 36 upon plug insertion. To this end, one of the housing sides, here illustrated as 21, is provided with a pair of slots 57 and 58, the metal from these slots being turned inwardly of the housing to form supporting lugs 61) and 61. Lugs 60 and 61 are spaced apart enough to accommodate a standard prong of a standard plug. The transverse distance between housing sides 21 and 22 is just a bit larger than the transverse dimension of a prong of a conventional plug. Thus when prong 55 of a plug is inserted into slot 52, lugs 60 and 61 will support the prong while it is being forced downwardly into position.

If desired, housing side 22 may also be provided with slots similar to 57 and 58. Preferably slot 57, which is nearest to end plate 25, and its corresponding lug 60 are longer than slot 58 and lug 61. This is due to the fact that lug 60 must support prong 55 against bending resulting from the bias of spring 41.

The upper portion of slot 57 may be shaped as shown to bend away from the vertical as shown in Figure 4 and slot 58 may bend away to provide an open region between the lugs for properly guiding the prong of the plug upon insertion of the plug to operate the switch.

It is clear that when prong 55 will engage cam edge 43 of plate 36, this plate will move to the left against 7 spring 41. The movement of plate 36'will of course result in switch operation.

It is alsopossibleto obtain switch operationlby pressing on the end of finger 45 or projecting portion 50 of'plate 18 orboth.

What is claimed is:

1. 'A switch operating means comprising 'a housing having a top wall, end walls and two side walls, a plate disposedin said housing between said'two side wallsiand parallel thereto and being movablein its own plane, said plate having projecting portions extending through one end wall, means for biasing said plate toward the other end wall, said plate havingan edge portion within the housing formed .as a cam surface, said housing having two transverse slotsathrough the top wall thereof, said transverse slots being dimensioned and spaced to accommodate the prongs of a110 volt plug, one of said transverse slots 'being disposed so that said plug prong T will engage the cam surface of theplate, said cam surface being so shaped that movement'oflsaid plate against the spring bias will result upon insertion of said plug prongs through said'transverse slots.

2. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said housing has a slot cut out from one of the side walls, 25

the metal from said slot being bent inwardly to form a supporting lug, said supporting lug being so dimensioned and located as to support the prongs of the plug which engage the cam surface against deflection when said prong cooperates with said cam surface to move said plate.

3. The construction according to claim 2 wherein two slots .are provided in said housing side, the metal of said slots being turned in to form supporting lugs on opposite sides of said plug prongs.

4. The construction according to claim 3 wherein said two slots are at an acute angle to each other to provide an enlarged space between the lugs upon the entering ends of the lugs for said prong.

5. The construction according to claim 4 wherein said plate has a finger extending beyond the housing, said last named finger extending beyond the other end wall of the housing, said finger being adapted to be engaged for operation of 'the mechanism independently of the plug prongs.

Williams et a1. Feb. 10, 1953 Avrunin Feb. 21, 1956 

